U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): Harold T. Pinckett and Sara Dunlap Jackson

Harold T. Pinckett was the first African American archivist at the National Archives. Mr. Pinckett worked at the National Archives from 1942 until 1979. He also taught history at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Sources: Helms, Douglas. "In Memoriam: Harold T. Pinckett." Perspectives 39.8 (2001): n.pag. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. ; Helms, Douglas. "Obituary [Dr. Harold T. Pinckett]." Agricultural History 75.3 (2001): 349-351. Print. ; "Harold T. Pinckett Minority Student Award." Society of American Archivists. Society of American Archivists, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. ; Shockley, Anne Allen. "Librarians, Archivists, and Writers: A Personal Perspective." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 320, 322. Print.

Sara Dunlap Jackson was the earliest known African American archival assistant to work at the National Archives. Ms. Jackson worked at the National Archives from 1944 until 1990.

Sources: Berlin, Ira. "In Memoriam: Sara Dunlap Jackson." Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association of Documentary Editing 13.3 (1991): 69. Print. ; Berlina, Ira. "Dedication: In Memory of Sara Dunlap Jackson, May 28, 1919-April 19, 1991." Prologue 29.2 (1997): 85. Print. ; Berlin, Ira. "Remembering Sara Dunlap Jackson (1919-1991)." BlackPast.org. Black Past, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. ; "Historical News and Notices." The Journal of Southern History 57.3 (1991): 574-587. Print. ; "Sara Dunlap Jackson, Federal Archivist." South Carolina African American History Calendar, 2011. Web. 4 Jan. 2011.

ALA History: Early African American Officers of the American Library Association (ALA)

Alma Jacobs was the first African American to serve on ALA's Executive Board.

Source: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 9. Print.



Albert P. Marshall was the first African American to serve as chair of ALA's Nominating Committee.

Sources: Josey, E.J. "Introduction." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. xi. Print. ; Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 9. Print.

Update 07/28/2012:

Here is an additional article related to Albert P. Marshall:

Goldberg, Beverly. "African Americans 'Stretch the Envelope' at the First Black Caucus Conference." American Libraries 23.10 (Nov. 1992): 834-835.Print.

Update 10/11/2012:

Here are more articles related to Albert P. Marshall:

"Marshall Gets Office in State Library Assoc." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 19 Oct. 1951: 2. Print.

"Librarians Attend Chicago Meeting." Jefferson City Post-Tribune 5 July 1951: 10. Print.

"Faculty Spends Holidays Both Near and Far Away." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 7 Jan. 1955: 2. Print.

Update 11/06/2012:

Albert P. Marshall served as the first editor of Library Service Review, the publication of the North Carolina Negro Library Association. In addition, he was also a librarian at Winston-Salem Teachers College (now Winston-Salem State University) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

See: Library Service Review 1.1 (1948) and Library Service Review 1.2 (1948).


Robert Wedgeworth was the first African American to serve as Executive Director of ALA.

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 12. Print. ; "Voice of 3,000 Librarians: Robert Wedgeworth, Executive Director of American Library Association, Seeks to Make Librarians Visible." Ebony 28.8 (1973): 107-108, 110-112. Print. ;  Dawson, Alma. "Celebrating African American Librarians and Librarianship." Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 61. Print. ; "American Library Assn. Names Black Executive." Jet 42.4 (1972): 25. Print. ; McPheeters, Annie L. Library Service in Black and White: Some Personal Recollections, 1921-1980. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1988. 132. Print. ; Jefferson, Julius C. “The Black Male Librarian: An Endangered Species.” The National Diversity in Libraries Conference. Louisville Marriott Downtown, Louisville, KY. 3 Oct. 2008. Pdf. ; Bobinski, George S. Libraries and Librarianship: Sixty Years of Challenge and Change, 1945-2005. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2007. 100. Print.



The first African American director of the Office of Literacy and Outreach Services was Jean Coleman.

Sources: Dawson, Alma. "Celebrating African American Librarians and Librarianship." Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 56-57. Print. ; "Former OLOS Director Dies." ALCTS Network News 12.17 (1996): n. pag. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. ; Woods, Alfred L. "Chicago Black Librarians Caucus." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 117. Print.

Charlemae Hill Rollins was the first African American to serve as president of the Children's Services Division of the American Library Association.

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 8. Print. ; Josey, E.J. "Introduction." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. xi. Print.

ALA History: African American Presidents of the American Library Association (ALA)

The first African American president of ALA was Clara Stanton Jones (1976-1977).

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 12. Print. ; "ALA's Past Presidents." American Library Association. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2011. ; McPheeters, Annie L. Library Service in Black and White: Some Personal Recollections, 1921-1980. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1988. 132. Print. ; Poinsett, Alex.. "1976: Year of the Black Voter." Ebony 32.3 (1977): 85. Print. ; Garner, Carla W. "Jones, Clara Stanton (1913- )." BlackPast.org. BlackPast.org, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. ; DeLoach, Marva. "Clara Stanton Jones." Women of Color in Librarianship: An Oral History. Ed. Kathleen de la Pena McCook. [Chicago]: ALA, Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship, 1998. 28-57. Print.

The second African American president of ALA was E.J. Josey (1984-1985).

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 14. Print. ; "ALA's Past Presidents." American Library Association. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2011. ; McPheeters, Annie L. Library Service in Black and White: Some Personal Recollections, 1921-1980. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1988. 132. Print. ; Jefferson, Julius C. “The Black Male Librarian: An Endangered Species.” The National Diversity in Libraries Conference. Louisville Marriott Downtown, Louisville, KY. 3 Oct. 2008. Pdf.

The third African American president of ALA was Hardy R. Franklin (1993-1994).

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 16. Print. ; "ALA's Past Presidents." American Library Association. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2011.

Update 07/28/2012:

Here are two additional articles related to Hardy R. Franklin: 

Franklin, Hardy R. "Customer Service: The Heart of A Library." College and Research Library News 55.2 (Feb. 1994): 63. Print.

Goldberg, Beverly. "African Americans 'Stretch the Envelope' at the First Black Caucus Conference." American Libraries 23.10 (Nov. 1992): 832-833. Print.



The fourth African American president of ALA was Carla Hayden (2003-2004).

Sources: "Carla Hayden Elected New American Library Association President." Jet 101.23 (2002): 34 . Print. ; "ALA's Past Presidents." American Library Association. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2011. ; Brennan, Carol. "Carla D. Hayden Biography." Brief Biographies, N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010.

Update 03/01/2016:

On February 24, 2016, President Barack Obama announced his decision to nominate Carla Hayden for the position of Librarian of Congress. If she is confirmed for the position, Ms. Hayden would be the first African American and the first woman to serve as Librarian of Congress.


Sources: "President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Carla D. Hayden as Librarian of Congress." WhiteHouse.gov. White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. Mar. 1, 2016. ; Peet, Lisa. "President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Carla D. Hayden as Librarian of Congress." Library Journal. Library Journal, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016. ; "BCALA Celebrates Dr. Carla Hayden's Nomination to Be Librarian of Congress." BCALA - News and Events: Press Releases. Black Caucus of the American Library Association, 23 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016. ; Gravatt, Nancy. "'The President Could Not Have Made a Better Choice': ALA Comments on the Pending Nomination of Carla Hayden for Librarian of Congress." American Library Association. American Library Association, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

Update 9/15/2016:

Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, Jr. on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

Sources: Peet, Lisa. "Carla Hayden Blazes Trail as First Woman, First African American Librarian of Congress." Library Journal 15 Sept. 2016. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. ; Fandos, Nicholas. "New Librarian of Congress Offers History Lesson in Her Own Right." New York Times 15 Sept. 2016: A13. Print.


Update 05/03/2013:

The fifth African American president of ALA will be Courtney L. Young (2014-2015).

Sources: Kempf, JoAnne. "Young Wins ALA Presidency." ALA News. American Library Association, 3 May 2013. Web. 3 May 2013. ; "ALA Election Results: Young Wins President, Gonzalez Treasurer;  Dues Measure Passes by Wide Margin." INFOdocket. INFOdocket.com, 3 May 2013. Web. 3 May 2013. ; Borman, Laurie. "Young Wins 2014-2015 ALA Presidency." Inside Scoop. American Library Association, 3 May 2013. Web. 3 May 2013.

Update 07/15/2014:

Courtney L. Young was officially sworn in as ALA President on July 1, 2014. The ceremony took place at the 2014 American Library Association Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sources: "ALA 2014: For Librarians, It's Viva Las Vegas." Publishers Weekly 261.27 (2014): 7. Print. ; Albanese, Andrew. "ALA Sizzles in Las Vegas." Publishers Weekly (Online). 30 June 2014. Web. 15 July 2015.

Update 10/22/2019:

The sixth African American president of ALA is Wanda Brown (2019-2020).

Sources: Peet, Lisa. "Wanda Brown Wins ALA Presidency." Library Journal. Library Journal, 18 Apr. 2018. Web. 22 Oct. 2019. ; Morales, Macey. "Brown Wins 2019-2020 Presidency." ALA News. American Library Association, 18 Apr. 2018. Web. 22 Oct. 2019. 

Update 06/26/2020:

The seventh African American president of ALA is Julius Jefferson, Jr. (2020-2021).

Sources: Morales,  Macey. "Jefferson wins 2020-2021 ALA Presidency." ALA News. American Library Association, 10 Apr. 2019. Web. 26 June 2020. ; Reyes, Sheryl. "ALA President-Elect Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. Invites Members to Attend Free Virtual Inauguration." ALA News. American Library Association, 9 June 2020. Web. 26 June 2020.  ; Albanese, Andrew. "Julius C. Jefferson Wins 2020-2021 ALA Presidency." Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, LLC, 12 Apr. 2019. Web. 26 June 2020.

ALA History: 1936 American Library Association Meeting in Richmond, Virginia

During the 1936 American Library Association Meeting in Richmond, Virginia, African American librarians were not allowed to stay at the conference hotel, eat at the dining sessions, or visit the exhibits. This was due to Virginia's segregation laws.

The unfair treatment in Richmond, Virginia of African American conference attendees, prompted the American Library Association (ALA) to pass a resolution to never hold any of its conferences in cities that discriminated against any of its members because of their race. It also forbade any state affiliate that practiced racism to become an affiliate of ALA.


Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy, and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 7. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South, or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2008. 80. Print. ; Jones, Reinette. Library Service to African Americans in Kentucky: From the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s. Jefferson: McFarland, 2006. 134. Print. ; Preer, Jean L. “‘This Year -- Richmond!’: The 1936 Meeting of the American Library Association.” Libraries & Culture 39.2 (2004): 137-160. Print.

 

Update 12/23/2012: 

 See related post: ALA History: 1928 Annual Conference of the American Library Association, West Baden, Indiana

Update 1/28/2014:

See related post: Wallace Van Jackson: Professor and Award-Winning Librarian

Update 7/27/2020:

See related post: 1928 Indiana Library Association Meeting and the Hotel Lincoln

Father and Daughter Librarians: Richard T. Greener and Belle Da Costa Greene (nee Belle Marion Greener)

In celebration of Fathers' Day, today's little known black librarian fact will focus on a father who was a librarian and his daughter who followed him into the profession:

Richard T. Greener (1844-1922), the first African American to graduate from Harvard University (1870), was a professor and the university librarian for the University of South Carolina (1873-1877). His daughter, Belle da Costa Greene (1883-1950; born Belle Marion Greener), was the librarian for the J.P. Morgan Library in New York City from 1905-1948.

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy, and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 3. Print. ; Ardizzone, Heidi. An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Power. New York: Norton, 2007. Print. ; "Belle da Costa Greene." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010. Web. 29 Sep. 2010. ; Josey, E.J. "Foreword." Educating Black Librarians: Papers from the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University. Jefferson: McFarland, 1991. viii. Print.

Update 02/07/2013:

 The National Public Radio (NPR) show All Things Considered did a story in April of 2012 on how a demolition crew in Chicago discovered a trunk of old documents and books in an abandoned house. The documents and books were discovered to be those of Richard T. Greener. Click on the link to below to listen to the story:

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/23/151227283/discovery-sparks-interest-in-forgotten-black-scholar

Update 07/21/2014:

Richard T. Greener served a short term as principal of the M Street School (now Paul Laurence Dunbar High School) in Washington, D.C. He held this position in 1873. Mr. Greener is briefly mentioned in Alison Stewart's book, "First Class: The Legacy of Dunbar, America's First Black Public High School."

Source: Stewart, Alison. First Class: The Legacy of Dunbar, America's First Black Public High School. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2013. 37. Print.

Update 11/17/2015:

Richard T. Greener and Belle Da Costa Greene are briefly mentioned in a piece I wrote on Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.):

Fenton, Michele. "Dunbar High School." African American Leadership: A Concise Reference Guide. [Santa Barbara, CA]: Mission Bell Media, 2015. 79-81. Print.

Judith Carter Horton and the Excelsior Library of Guthrie, Oklahoma

 In 1908, Judith Carter Horton established the Excelsior Library, Oklahoma's first public library for African Americans. The Excelsior Library was located in the town of Guthrie, on Second Street, and was headed by Mrs. Horton. Born in 1866 in Wright City, Missouri, Mrs. Horton was an 1891 graduate of Oberlin College, and the wife of D.G. Horton (Mr. Horton was the principal of Favor High School, a high school for African Americans in Guthrie). The refusal of Guthrie's library, the Carnegie Circulating Library, to provide service to her husband was Mrs. Horton's motivation for starting the Excelsior Library. In 1910, the Excelsior Library became a branch of the Carnegie Circulating Library.

In 1904, Mrs. Horton founded Oklahoma's first women's club for African Americans, the Excelsior Club. She also served as president of the Oklahoma State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs for three terms. In addition, Mrs. Horton a was founding member of the Warner Street Congregational Church, and was active in the National Association of Colored Women (later the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs). Prior to her arrival in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Mrs. Horton was an educator in Columbus, Kansas.

After 11 years of service, Mrs. Horton left the Excelsior Library to accept a teaching position at Favor High School. She retired from Favor High School in 1936. Mrs. Horton passed away in 1948 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Mrs. Horton was one of four women profiled in "The First Ladies of Colored America -No. 6", an article featured in the February 1943 issue of the The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races. The Crisis is the journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was founded by W.E.B. DuBois in 1910. It is still in publication after 103 years.

Note: The Carnegie Circulating Library was originally established as the Guthrie Public Library in July of 1900 by the Federated Women's Clubs of Guthrie. In 1901, the library was renamed the Carnegie Circulating Library, and in 1902 a new building was constructed with a grant of $26,000 from Andrew Carnegie (R.W. Ramsey, a friend of Carnegie helped initiate this effort). The City of Guthrie contributed an additional gift of $10,000. Adele Kesler was the librarian. The library provided services to the residents of Guthrie until its closure in 1972. A new library, the Guthrie Public Library, was built to replace the Carnegie Circulating Library. The Carnegie Circulating Library is now the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest surviving Carnegie Library in Oklahoma. 

You can view a picture postcard of the Carnegie Circulating Library on the Library Postcards Blog: http://www.librarypostcards.blogspot.com/2008/12/carnegie-library-guthrie-oklahoma.html 


See related post: Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the Muskogee Public Library (Muskogee, Oklahoma)

Update 11/03/2016:

Judith Carter Horton and the Excelsior Library are mentioned in an article in the November 2016 issue of Mistletoe Leaves, a publication of the Oklahoma Historical Society:

"OTM Collecting Artifacts and Stories Relating to the African American Experience."  Mistletoe Leaves 47.10 (Nov. 2016): 5. Print.

Note: OTM is the Oklahoma Territorial Museum.

Sources: "Colored Library A Success." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 18 Dec. 1908:9. Print. ; "For A Worthy Purpose." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 5 O'Clock Ed. 15 July 1908:1. Print. ; Lucas-Thompson, Grace. "What Our Women are Doing!" The Freeman (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12 Dec. 1914:3. Print. ; "Men of the Month." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 15.6 (1918): 279-280. Print. ;  "The First Ladies of Colored America - No. 6." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 50.2 (Feb. 1943): 48. Print. ; "Judith Carter Horton." Notable Oklahoma Women. Tulsa City-County Library, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. ;  Stiefmiller, Helen M. "Horton, Judith Ann Carter Horton (1866-1948)." Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University Libraries Electronic Publishing Center, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010 ; "Social Uplift." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 9.1 (Nov. 1914): 8. Print.  ; "Carnegie Libraries: Oklahoma's Treasures." Trustee Talk (Oklahoma Dept. of Libraries, Office of Library Development) 8 (Sept. 2004): 10. Print. ; "Guthrie Public Library." OLA Celebrates the Oklahoma Centennial and the OLA Centennial. Oklahoma Library Association, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Everett, Dianna. "Carnegie Libraries." Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University Libraries Electronic Publishing Center, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; "Carnegie Library." The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Guthrie Public Library. Guthrie Public Library, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Reports of the Oklahoma Library Commission, Sept. 15, 1919-June 30, 1920 and Survey of Public Libraries of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City: Warden Company, 1922. 12-13, 20, 26-27, 43, 69-70, 86, 95-96. Print. ; "Hear This Musical Program and Address." The Oklahoma Guide (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 30.18 (Oct. 14, 1920): 1. Print. ; Rees, Margaret. "Guthrie's New Library: An Appeal to the Public to Assist the New Enterprise." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 11 Nov. 1901:3. Print. ; "Building Site for Carnegie Library: Discussed Pro and Con by Members of Women's Clubs." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 5 Nov. 1901:3. Print. ; "Public Library Notes." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 7 Feb. 1902: 6. Print. ; "Total Gifts to Date of America's Two Wealthiest Money Kings." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 7 Feb. 1902: 3. Print. ; "Carnegie Library Cornerstone Laid: Federation of Women's Club Fitly Celebrate the Event." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 3 July 1902:1, 8. Print. ; "Carnegie Library Was Officially Dedicated Last Night." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 21 May 1903:1, 4. Print. ; "OTM Collecting Artifacts and Stories Relating to the African American Experience."  Mistletoe Leaves 47.10 (Nov. 2016): 5. Print.

Article on Evansville, Indiana's Former African American Library Branch (The Cherry Street Branch -- A Colored Carnegie Library)

 The Spring 2011 (v. 10, no. 2) issue of the Library History Round Table Newsletter contains a short article I wrote about the former Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library of Evansville, Indiana. Built with a donation from Andrew Carnegie, the Cherry Street Branch Library (also known as the "Colored Branch") provided services to Evansville's African American community from 1914-1954. To read the article, visit the Library History Round Table Newsletter's page at:

Fenton, Michele. "Building Spotlight: The Cherry Street (African American) Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County, IN Public Library." LHRT Newsletter 10.2 (2011):6-7. Print.

Update 03/04/2012:

  There is also a longer, expanded article I wrote containing additional information about the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library in Indiana Libraries, v. 30, no. 2 (2011):

Fenton, Michele T. "Way Down Yonder at the Cherry Street Branch: A Short History of Evansville's Negro Library." Indiana Libraries 30.2 (2011): 37-41. Print.


Update 06/01/2012:

   The Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library is briefly mentioned on pages 56 and 213 of the following monograph:
    
      McPherson, Alan. Temples of Knowledge: Andrew Carnegie's Gift to Indiana. Kewanna, IN: Hoosier's Nest Press, 2003. 56, 213. Print.

Update 12/17/2012:

See related posts: Lillian Sunshine Hayden Childress Hall: Pioneer in the History of Library Service to African Americans in Indiana, Fannie C. Porter and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library, and Minnie B. Slade Bishop: 1939 Graduate of the Hampton Institute Library School, and The Flanner Guild Deposit Station, Paul Laurence Dunbar Branch, Crispus Attucks Branch, and the George Washington Carver Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library (Indianapolis, Indiana).

Update 03/09/2013:

The Wisconsin Historical Society has in its digital collection, a picture of children using the Cherry Street Branch:

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=74504

Also, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library has in its digital collection, a picture of the Cherry Street Branch in 1927:

http://digital.evpl.org/u?/evplcent,253

Update 04/18/2014:

I wrote an article on Lillian Haydon Childress Hall who served as branch manager of the Cherry Street Branch from 1915 until 1921. The article was published in the latest issue of "Indiana Libraries". Click the link below for access:

Fenton, Michele T. "Stepping Out on Faith: Lillian Haydon Childress Hall, Pioneer Black Librarian." Indiana Libraries 33.1 (2014): 5-11. Print.

Update 6/07/2014:

Rachel Davis Harris, noted children's librarian at the Eastern Colored Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony for the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library. The ceremony took place on December 2, 1914 at McFarland Baptist Church (also called "McFarland Chapel"). The title of Mrs. Harris's speech was "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman, a journal published by the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), published Mrs. Harris's speech in the v. 44, no. 7 (1915) issue. Google Books has digitized the Southern Workman. You can view Mrs. Harris's speech by clicking on the link below:

Harris, Rachel D. "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman 44.7 (1915): 385-391. Pdf.

The Cherry Street Branch is also mentioned in the following sources:

Malone, Cheryl Knott. "Quiet Pioneers: Black Women Public Librarians in the Segregated South." Vitae Scholasticae 19.1 (2000): 64. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel. Southern Indiana. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000. 89. Print. ; "The Negro Library in Evansville, Ind." Public Libraries 20.3 (1915): 115. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.8 (1913): 138. Print. ; "Carnegie Donations." Library Occurrent 3.7 (1913): 124. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 203. Print. ; "New Library Buildings." Library Occurrent 4.2 (1915): 28. Print. ; "Personals." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 204. Print.  ; Evansville Public Library. Second Annual Report, 1914. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1915. 6. Print. ; Goldhor, Herbert. The First Fifty Years: The Evansville Public Library and the Vanderburgh County Public Library. Evansville: Goldhor, 1962. 4, 22. Print. ; Evansville Public Library. First Annual Report, 1913. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1914. 8. Print. ; Bobinski, George S. Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: ALA, 1969. 80, 176. Print. ; Shores, Louis. "Public Library Service to Negroes." Library Journal 55.4 (1930): 152. Print. ; Atherton, Christi. "West Branch Library, A Mix of Past & Present." Evansville Courier & Press 22 Aug. 2008: n. pag. Web. 29 Jan. 2011. ; Rose, Ernestine. "Work with Negroes Round Table." Bulletin of the American Library Association 16.40 (1922): 363-365 and Library Journal 47.14 (1922): 666-668. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel E. An Evansville Album: Perspectives on a River City, 1812-1988. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988. 92. Print.

Welcome to Little Known Black Librarian Facts!

Little Known Black Librarian Facts is a blog devoted to the history of African American librarians and library services to African Americans. Here you'll learn about the pioneers in the library profession, and the triumphs and struggles in making library services available to African Americans.  Also, please take a look at the companion publication "Little Known Black Librarian Facts (2nd edition)", which you can access from the blog (see side bar). Enjoy!!